


To Become Intertwined

by Nymaria



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Eventual Smut, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Soul Bond, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-02-02
Packaged: 2018-05-13 07:42:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5700445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nymaria/pseuds/Nymaria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At thirty one the words finally appear on Danny's wrist.<br/>And yeah, he's not fucking happy. Not at all.<br/>He's drunk and miserable and wants to burrow himself into a hole and never ever come out. </p><p>Soulmate AU, where most people somehow get their soulmate's first words to them embedded in the skin of their wrists. There's no specific time or age to these events and can occur till death, though usually in their teens and early twenties.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Who are you!?

At thirty one the words finally appear on Danny's wrist.  
And yeah, he's not fucking happy. Not at all.  
He's drunk and miserable and wants to burrow himself into a hole and never ever come out. 

His wife has just left him, because of the stupid cursive writing on her wrist, that showed up randomly one beautiful Sunday morning last month and it just isn't _fair_.  
Instead of getting ice cream with Gracie and watching the newest Disney movie for the nth time, he's sitting in a shabby bar at midday on a Saturday afternoon like any other pathetic looser, while his wife and her new man are taking his daughter to a museum.  
Isn't that just wonderful? 

And because of what? Destiny. Fate.  
Like that really exists. 

Goddammit, they were happy before. They were married, still are actually. They have a family, a child together. Some words shouldn't change all that. 

And the thing is, he and Rachel talked about it, wanted to make it work. Their relationship wasn't all roses and sunshine, they both have explosive tempers and occasionally need to let off some steam, but they had good times, too.  
And Grace.  
Lots of people don't marry their soulmates, why couldn't they be one of them?

 

That's when Stan Edwards, business man extraordinaire, swept in, (Danny wants to stab the bastard, but no he can't, he's a cop, he cannot stab his wife's soulmate) and met Rachel at one of those fancy art exhibitions, she loves to attend.  
Rachel describes it like a fairytale, like their meeting was fated to be, although it can't be more than coincidence, everybody knows that. Danny listened to her tell their daughter one evening, one of the last they spent living together. She was sitting at Grace's bed, stroking over her hair and smiling. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, honestly, but he couldn't stop himself when Rachel began to weave the story. 

Apparently she'd been standing in front of one of those overpriced, modern paintings by some foreign artist with an unpronounceable name and admiring it, when Stan suddenly came up behind her and said the totally banal, but oh so romantic words:

 _"Beautiful painting, isn't it?"_  
She'd laughed (of course she did!) and answered:  
_"Yes, I love the colours!"_

Then they'd both felt something, looked at their wrists and discovered the match. Soulmates. Rachel called it 'an indescribable pull to each other', but Danny has read up on that and it's supposed to be more of a sharp sting, so she can shove it with the romantic bullshit.  
It was love at first sight, they both just knew that they belonged to each other. And dear Stan had bought the (ugly) painting right away, of course, to commemorate their love. Soon they were all going to Hawaii, just the three of them, Rachel, Stan and Grace, and 'aren't you happy, sweetheart?'

Danny still remembers Gracie, lying in her bed and looking at Rachel with big, confused eyes. "But Mum, what about Danno?"

Well, what about him? Obviously he's out of the picture, at least for Rachel. He knows he shouldn't, it's not her fault, just their fucked up biology, but sometimes he hates her a little for doing this to him. For taking Grace away from him.  
Damn Stan and his business connections on Hawaii to hell! 

***

'Jimmy's Corner' is almost empty at this time, not that Danny minds, he's here for the drinks, not the company. Nursing his fourth glass of whiskey, he already feels the pleasant buzz of intoxication take hold of him and he enjoys the sensation of brief distraction from the epic chaos in his life. 

A vibration in his pocket alerts him to a new missed phone call, the eight one today and he should really call his parents back, let them know he's not passed out in a ditch somewhere. Which could technically still happen.

Danny chuckles a little to himself and downs his drink. The ditch-plan doesn't sound too bad right now, something to look forward to. With the alcohol in his system he feels quite content actually, if he avoids thinking even remotely about the people in his life. Maybe he'll get through this, make it work for his little girl.

Naturally this is the perfect, glorious moment fate has chosen to bestow him with another load of crap.There's a prickling sensation in his right arm, feels like pins and needles all over. Reluctantly he bares it to look if maybe he's bumped into something and - there is indeed a bruise forming, right on his wrist and it's the deepest colour of black imaginable. Carefully he prods spot with his finger, it doesn't hurt. Feels like no bruise he'd ever had, and he had his fair share working in the police force. It doesn't even look like a bruise, more like dark paint trapped under skin. 

The thought makes him freeze. No, freaking no! Is god out to torture him? He could have lived being a 'blank', someone without a soulmark on his wrist, has lived like that for so long in fact, that this is more than a little unwelcome.

He's not a coward though, so maybe he really doesn't want to know, but he won't run away from it either. He can feel the words forming, but refuses to look. Waiting for the tingling to fade away, Danny steels himself, breathes in and out and finally takes a look at the thing that will invariably mess his life up. 

They're really there, right on his skin. Strong, bold letters in a messy handwriting. Seeing it is different somehow, it makes it real, like this is happening.  
A wave of nausea hits him and Danny wants to puke so badly, if only he wasn't sitting at the bar. The chattering guys to his right sure won't appreciate it.  
His face drains of blood so quickly, he must look like a ghost, since he notices the bartender shooting him a worried glance and asking a friendly, "Alright there?"

"Sure", he says somewhat hoarsely and swallows, then clears his throat. His eyes are glued to his wrist though and he can't stop staring at the words. 

**_Who are you!?_ **

And yeah, who the fuck are you, he thinks bitterly. What kind of person even says that in an introduction? It's weird, that's what it is! The handwriting looks so unlike anything Rachel has ever produced, more like his own unreadable scrawl. That's when another revelation hits him like a brick to the head. This doesn't look like anything he's ever seen a female write and sure, there have to be exceptions, but he can't suppress the feeling that the mark on his skin is decidedly masculine. 

Fuck. This.

No, he's not thinking about this, not opening this can of worms yet. No way. 

So, anyway, he's a Detective, he should get his facts sorted. This person, his soulmate, must be freaking rude to greet someone like this, right? Danny can't think of one scenario where this would be appropriate. Rude or maybe...

Great, fan-fucking-tastic, his soulmate is a criminal. 

With a groan he buries his head in his hands and wishes he could shut out the whole world and never meet this mysterious guy or girl (please let it be a girl) he's destined for. 

To say it in the wise words of the teen he's busted for dealing drugs this morning:  
Life sucks.

A hand taps him on his shoulder and he looks up as an old man with a great grey moustache settles in the stool beside him.  
"Everything okay, son?" he asks in concern and Danny's always a little surprised that there are still people like this who would care about a stranger.  
"No", he says, because there's no reason to lie here. He's not fine and he doesn't have to pretend to be either, so he kind of blurts out, "My wife is leaving me for her soulmate and she's taking my daughter with her."

The man's rather impressive eyebrows rise up and he gestures to the bartender for a round of drinks. "That's rough", he acknowledges. "I'm Joey by the way." He holds out his hand and Danny shakes it. 

"Danny", he introduces himself , while the bartender arrives with their drinks.  
"I still love her", he says and there should be a limit of to the pitifulness allowed to be displayed in front of strangers. 

"I'm sorry, son." Joey nods sagely and gazes at him with sad, old eyes. "In my time those scribbles, soulmarks they call them now, weren't so common. The scientists call it an... evolution, I think. But I've seen many a good marriage ruined by it and families torn apart. We managed without them for so long, why do we need them now?" Sighing he takes a sip of his whiskey.

"It's stupid", Danny agrees.

"Any plans now?" he asks with sympathy. 

In response Danny laughs helplessly.  
"Why, yes! I'm going to Hawaii!" he declares with fake merriment dripping all over his words.

"I guess it's not a vacation."

"Nope", he says, popping the 'p'. "My wife, then probably ex-wife, is going to settle down there, because of the work of her new partner", Danny fairly spat out. "I have to follow, because she's taking Grace with her."

"Ah", the other man murmurs. "Maybe that's good, a fresh start."

"I have enough of 'fresh' anything, thanks", Danny says, holding his uncovered arm up to show off the dark writing. He doesn't care about modesty, so what if he shows his words to a stranger. They're not an 'intimate gift' to him like the commercials call them. Danny never wanted to have them.  
"I just got it today", he adds at Joey's slightly shocked expression. 

The old man shrugs in a what-can-you-do-way and gives him a smile. "Lots of beautiful beaches on Hawaii, pretty girls, too."

Danny laughs, it's not bitter though, just resigned. "I'm not into beaches."

Joey joins him and jokes, "But the girls?"

"Yeah", Danny nods and feels a little lighter. They chat a little about random stuff mostly, their jobs, politics, sports.

When it's late afternoon Joey stands up and bids him goodbye, because his wife is waiting with pie and their grandkids are supposed to come around. Before he leaves though he looks straight at Danny and admits, "I didn't marry my soulmate. I met her and she was a beautiful and kind woman, but I didn't love her. Not like Sarah. You don't have to let a mark decide your life, son." He hesitates a bit and continues, "But you should give it a chance. Maybe it can make you happy."

They both glance at the writing on his bare hand, until he selfconsciously tugs it under his shirt sleeve to hide it from view. A shopping trip to get a wrist band is definitely in order. Flaunting it openly would be vulgar. 

"Thanks Joey", he says with a half smile appreciating the advice. Maybe it won't be so bad to leave New Jersey. He might even find someone, not necessary his soulmate, but _someone_.

"Take care, Danny." And with this the man is gone and Danny is left alone in the contemplation of his thoughts. 

A fresh start, huh?  
Well, it couldn't get any worse, right? 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will cover Danny's and Steve's first meeting.  
> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments would be lovely! ;)


	2. Hands up! Don't move!

Hawaii is as beautiful as all the brochures and advertisements suggest with prefect, long beaches and a fascinating variety of nature. Grace is entranced by the culture, the food, the sun and the waves.  
Paradise indeed. 

Danny absolutely hates it.  
So what if he longs for the noise and sheer bustle of New Jersey, where the people still appreciate a Detective with a tie and button-down shirt. There's not even decent pizza in this place, and everywhere he looks there are pineapples and flowers. And surfing - whoever invented the sport was out to break his neck! He is never letting his daughter try this, especially with possible sharks around. His colleagues just laugh about his aversion to water and make jokes about the sunburnt haole with the snarky attitude. 

It's not like he can't hear them, he isn't deaf. Mekka, his assigned partner is alright though, respects his choices and the way he works. In turn Danny tries his best to be an asset to every case. Although it's not fun, he slowly adapts to the situation and accepts that his former life in New Jersey is nothing but a wistful dream of the past. 

No matter what, he would never leave Grace, just to escape from some palm trees. 

***

The brutal murder of John McGarrett is a tough case, especially considering the man served as a cop for most of his life and was a good man by all accounts. Danny doesn't know why he and Mekka get the case, he's too new to be given so much responsibility and he doesn't mind a little pressure, but the assignment makes no sense. 

Still, he likes to think of himself as a good detective and he would do everything in his power to catch that bastard Victor Hesse. He's meticulous in his research, goes through all the files to find some clue to his whereabouts. Mekka tries to encourage him to go home earlier, spend some less hours at the office, but what is there to go home to exactly?  
A crappy, unpacked apartment in one of the dingiest districts, because he can barely afford more, what with the move, the rent and the monthly alimony payment. He's not complaining, but there just isn't enough money to live comfortably right now. And he doesn't want Grace to see him living like that, so they're always doing something adventurous on their weekends, like camping or treating themselves to a hotel. 

It's not an ideal solution and his little girl is going to figure it out soon, but at least for the moment she's happy and content. 

When he drives to the McGarrett residence to check out one of the reports, he's more than a little surprised to see a truck parked in the entry way. More importantly, he's pissed, because this is still an active crime scene and the public is meant to be kept outside to prevent the destruction of evidence. Yet maybe this isn't a curious snoop, but one of the perpetrators returning to hide something incriminating. Danny takes out his glock with caution, quietly sneaking closer to the house,when he hears a faint noise from the garage. He creeps in that direction, until he sees an abrupt movement from the corner of his eye, a gun being chocked, and he reacts accordingly, storming inside with his weapon raised. 

"Hands up! Don't move!" he barks out and he sees the tall figure of a man freeze for a moment. 

Their eyes lock and the other man lowers his gun slightly, shouting back, "Who are you?!"

And it's Danny's turn to startle, because no fucking way this guy just said that. _His words._  
He couldn't have known, Danny's eyes automatically stray to the blue wristband on his right hand, it looks undisturbed, not a peek of the dark writing showing. Damn it, the one time he prayed to be wrong, but no, naturally he is right about the criminal part.  
And the guy part, goddamnit.

"Who the hell are _you_ !" he presses through gritted teeth, and his blood pressure must be mounting the scales again. At least his hand is steady, as his gun remains fixated on the man (his soulmate!).

Frustration is evident in the man's features and he eyes Danny warily.  
"Commander Steve McGarrett, this is my father's house-"

Huh, not a criminal then, or maybe just an elaborate trick.  
"DetectiveDanny Williams, Honolulu PD, put your gun away-"

"No! You put _your_ gun away and let me see your ID-"

"You show me yours -", Danny starts, but is interrupted again by McGarrett, who looks more and more irritated. 

"I'm not putting my gun away!"

And soulmate, my ass, Danny wants to kick his stupid, stubborn face in for all the trouble he's made.  
"Well I'm not either!" he grunts out and he can see how that pisses him off.

They stare each other down, observing every little movement, every flinch, and yeah, it's pretty clear neither of them is going to lower their gun. 

McGarrett cracks first and concedes in exasperation, "Fine. Don't lower your gun, just use your free hand to pull out your ID-"

And perhaps it's a little childish, but he can't stop himself from snapping, "After you -"

"At the same time", McGarrett announces and Danny nods. 

It's funny how he doesn't doubt the man's identity any longer, even without having seen the proof. Hard to explain, it just feels right, like the name fits him. 

"On three", he says, counting, "One... two... three..."

They both fidget with their wallets, opening them one-handed and holding out the correct forms of identification.

Verifying the information they lower their guns and take the time to really look at each other. Then McGarrett strides forward abruptly, heading straight into Danny's personal space and reaches for his right hand. 

"Hey!" Danny exclaims, slapping the offending hand away and taking a few steps backwards. 

McGarrett scowls at him and promptly ignores his protests and reaches again for his right hand, this time grabbing it forcefully, determinedly sliding the material of the wristband away to reveal the blocky scrawl of _**Who are you?! __**_.  
A jolt of heat races through him, as the other man touches his bare skin. Then there's a sharp jab, a stinging feeling building all over him, although it generates from his mark.  
McGarrett looks equally stunned, maybe he feels it, too? Then he rips down his own wristband and shows the previously hidden skin to Danny. 

It's disconcerting to see his own barely legible handwriting engraved on the skin of another human being and fascinating all the same. 

_**Hands up! Don't move!**_

They stare at the matching marks for a long while, unable to comprehend the true significance of the moment.  
Only about 80% of all people with a mark find their matching piece. There have been many dissertations on this phenomenon and as far as Danny knows it has something to do with free will and how every decision can lead to a different outcome. If unfulfilled the words fade away into grey and then turn into normal skin, until they are eventually replaced by other words or remain bare. The question debated most fervently is, whether only the manner of meeting one's soulmate differs with the change of words or whether there are more than one soulmate possible for a person. 

Not that it matters much to Danny, since he is apparently among the lucky ones to get it right on the first try. Jackpot. 

"I thought you were a terrorist", Steve admits sheepishly and Danny stares at him in shock, then laughs. 

"Yeah, me too. Thought you were a criminal for sure. " 

There's an awkward pause and silence stretches between them. There he is, his soulmate and Danny has literally nothing to say, when before all kinds of questions were filling his brain. 

"Look, I'm sorry about your father, McGarrett ", he finally says and tries to be all tactful and tentative, although that's kind of difficult considering they're standing in the house, where the man was murdered, "but this is still an active crime scene and you can't be here, family or not." 

McGarrett seems to be reasonable, but then tries to leave with an old toolbox in tow and Danny's not stupid, he's noticed the dust pattern, no way is he leaving with that, soulmate or not. Danny's not budging and he's never encountered a more stubborn person to butt horns with, because he can see it in his eyes, McGarrett isn't backing down either. 

"Leave the box or get arrested", he snaps, unable to hold back the sheer anger in his voice. 

"Yeah?" And McGarrett has the gall to throw him a confident smirk. "Let's see about that." 

And he proceeds to call the governor, _the governor_ , on a private line and Danny can only watch in disbelief, when the bastard nonchalantly raises his hand and is sworn in per mobile phone! Who knows, maybe Danny is one of the official witnesses, not many others around after all. 

"Thank you, Governor Jameson", he says cheerily, giving Danny a smile that shows off his rows of white, perfect teeth.  
"Now it's _my_ crime scene." And he's obviously enjoying himself, sweeping the box up and going on his way, leaving Danny stunned and furious behind. 

He doesn't know if that's a connecting factor, but Danny certainly never wanted to punch someone so badly in the face before, knock out some teeth if possible. 

Somehow he doubts it's their bond's fault. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, second chapter is up! That was fast! I hope you like it. As you have probably noticed, lots of the dialogue is from the pilot and not my own. Credit where credit is due. ;)
> 
> Btw: Comments and Kudos make my day :)


	3. You can't just make me your partner!

Captain Hookano is an ass, and okay he understands it's the governor's order, but it's not like he fought for Danny to keep the case either. He's put so much time and work into this case and even has a solid lead, and it's all over, done with, because Commander Steven McGarrett arrived on the scene and wants to solve it himself. 

How this man could be his soulmate is incomprehensible. 

And it's not like he doesn't get it, Hesse has murdered McGarrett's father, anyone would be out for vengeance after that. It shouldn't be about revenge though, but to bring about justice and uphold the law. Yeah, if it was Danny's own family, he would be hard pressed to adhere to these ideals, yet he knows it would still be the right decision to let the police handle it. 

Anyway, what's done is done. He hands over the file to McGarrett without making much of a fuss, even though the man gives him that wide, provoking grin. No need to antagonise the guy, although he really wants to. Danny has enough trouble with the other detectives here, he doesn't need the stress of arguing with the entitled ass of a commander, too.

After all this crap the only thing he's looking forward to is a nice, cold beer and maybe some TV to kill time and relax. Hah, one good part of being taken from the case, no more work through the evening and night! Mekka would be pleased.

All he can do is relax and stop thinking about the stupid lug of a man he's met this morning.  
He's just settled down on his crappy couch, as comfortable as he's likely to get, and searching for a good soap or something, when there's a knock on the door. Wondering who that could be, -not Rachel with Grace, she would have called- it's not like he knows anyone else on this godforsaken island, he trudges over to the door and opens it, only to reveal Steve McGarrett in the flesh. 

"What do _you_ want?" he asks warily. If this is about the thing between them, he's going to shut the door so fast in his face that McGarrett can't blink before getting a bloody nose. And he's not taking him to the hospital, oh no!

Their eyes meet and for a second the other man flounders. He looks awkward, sheepish like he can read the violent turn to Danny's thoughts. "It's not about- you know."  
Then the stoic mask is back on his face and every little piece of the uncertainty Danny glimpsed before, is shuttered away. "You requested a wire on someone named Frank Doran. Tell me about him."

Sighing in resignation he lets him in, it's about work, he can't really turn him away. Besides, it's good that at least someone is going to follow the lead, even if that person isn't Danny. So he explains his theory that Hesse got his weapon from Doran. The guy's a small fry weapons dealer, but that can make it harder for the police to link him to Hesse. It's not a bad strategy and he can see McGarrett's nod of agreement. 

"Okay, let's go talk to him", McGarrett says, suddenly full of energy and a disquieting glint to his eyes. 

"Are you suffering from dementia? This isn't my case anymore." He shakes his head in exasperation and adds a little bitterly, "And whose fault is that, huh?"

McGarrett frowns at him. "I need you to help me cover more ground-"

"Well, I'm not doing it, so find someone else", Danny snaps, crossing his arms in agitation.

"You can't tell me you'd rather sit on your couch than apprehend a criminal with me", he grits out.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you! Thanks but no thanks, have a nice day!"

"Okay that's it! I don't care, you got no choice, detective. Governor Jameson gave me jurisdiction and I'm making you my partner."

And this- this is unbelievable.  
"You can't just _make_ me your partner!" 

"I just did." Damn him, he even has the audacity to smirk at him. Again.  
"We're going to get along great."

McGarrett strides out with the calm assurance of a man that has just gotten his way and the full expectation to be followed and obeyed.  
Seething with every step, Danny goes after him. 

If murderous urges are a part of the soulmate deal, their bond must be particularly deep. 

***

So their talk with Doran doesn't go quite as planned and turns more into a manhunt, in which Danny gets shot, okay grazed, and McGarrett acts more like Rambo than the rational, responsible leader he is supposed to be.

He doesn't even manage to shoot the bastard Doran, (what are his fancy Navy Seal tricks worth now?!) and even lets him take a female hostage, some tourist unfortunate enough to be walking by. Obviously it's up to Danny to save the day, which he does, when he shoots the guy in the head.

And his 'partner's' response? Gratitude? Thanks for saving his life? 

No, no, no. Not with Steve McGarrett.  
The most pressing thing he's got to say is, "You shot our only lead."

"I freaking saved your life! Thanks for the notice, next time I won't bother!"  
Danny turns on his heels and stomps in the direction of his car without waiting for McGarrett to catch up.  
No way is he going to be that madman's partner! The governor insists on their continued cooperation? Fine, he would talk to her, or throw his badge in the ocean for all it's worth, and become a P.l., not like anyone would miss the haole cop.

Some idiot bumps into him and an agonising jolt of pain rushes through his shoulder. As he said, it's just a graze, it still hurts though and he doesn't manage to suppress a hiss at the contact with his wound. Hopefully he doesn't bleed through the bandage, the EMT has patched him up already, he doesn't want to go back there. 

"Wait! Danny wait!", he hears McGarrett call out behind him and though unwilling, he pauses, glaring at the man.  
"Are you alright?" he asks with a glance to his shoulder. 

"I'm fine." He leaves the ' _No thanks to you_ ' unsaid. 

"Listen-", the other man starts and that's enough to make Danny boil over. Really? Would an apology be too much? If not for getting Danny shot, than at least for being a dick. 

"No, _you_ listen! I know you've got your personal vendetta going, or whatever, and I'm not butting in, I get it! But the least you can do is acknowledge that I risk my life here, buddy, and one wrong move and I could leave my daughter without a father, okay? So stop fucking around!"

For a moment there McGarrett looks stricken, affected, you know, like an actual human being, then his expression smoothes out and he is back to soldier-mode.  
"Are you done?" he asks calmly, effectively dismissing his concerns as irrelevant and treating him like a child throwing a tantrum. 

That's when Danny flips. 

Within seconds he's right in McGarrett's face, finger outstretched and poking him in the chest as he hurls abuse in his face. With hindsight it's no wonder that McGarrett reacts the way he does. Trained Navy Seal and everything, Danny should have thought about it before prodding at him. In the time it takes him to blink, his right arm is grabbed at the wrist and pinned to his back, while McGarrett's other hand pulls him closer until he's almost pressed flush against the other man's body.

McGarrett's fingers dig into his wristband, press through the fabric into the soulmark beneath and Danny feels a sharp stab of pain at the harsh touch.  
"You don't have to like me", the man murmurs in his ear, keeping the conversation private, yet not giving an inch, holding Danny securely in a tight, unyielding grip he cannot escape. "But right now, there's no one else to do this job."  
"Let go of me!" Danny demands and his struggles grow frantic.

Unphased, McGarrett slides his thumb under the elastic of the wristband and deliberately strokes over Danny's mark. A jolt travels through his whole body at the contact and searing warmth spreads from the center of his wrist to the rest of his arm. A wave of calmness descends upon him, wrapping around him like a thick blanket and muffling all feelings of rage and anger. He has a moment to feel helplessness rise inside him, until that too is swept away. 

"Do you understand, Danny?" McGarrett whispers to him and goosebumps spread all over Danny's skin. Nodding reflexively, he lets himself relax, trusting the man on a subconscious level, as a deep sense of contentment settles inside him.  
"Good." With that he slackens his grip and releases Danny, who stumbles a little, feeling weak and shaky at the sudden lack of touch. 

"What did you do to me?" he asks cautiously, watching his every move, because whatever just happened was _fucked up_. Sluggishly his mind tries to come up with possibilities, maybe McGarrett learned this in a special military training program designed to mess with soulmarks?

"Nothing", the man replies nonchalantly and he might have just as well said 'classified'. "You've calmed down, right? We should stop arguing and focus on the human trafficking ring Doran was connected to. We have to get to Hesse before he leaves Hawaii. "

He's right, there are more important matters to consider than their personal differences. 

It still feels damn satisfying though, when he punches him in the face with all the not inconsiderable strength he's got. His fist collides with McGarrett's jaw and there's a loud crack. He hopes this will bruise, that it looks all black and blue for everybody to see. Difficult to say what he enjoys more, the stunned look on the other man's face or the actual punch. 

"You're right, I don't like you", he admits and inexplicably feels better now, having said that. "And don't ever use that freaky technique on me again, got it?!"

"I can't believe you're my soulmate", McGarrett mutters, rubbing at his jaw.

"Believe me, I didn't sign up for the job!" Danny hisses and McGarrett honest to god grins at him, showing off his perfect, white, unharmed teeth.

At the sight a weird fluttering sensation settles in his stomach and he promptly dismisses the reaction as his body rebelling against the strange Hawaiian food he's been consuming lately. Nothing to do with the guy standing a few feet away from him. 

Danny gives in with an exaggerated eyeroll, conceding to the fact that he is not getting out of working this case with that maniac.  
"Let's go, McGarrett. Got a murderer to catch."

"You know, you can call me Steve, right? We're partners now", he offers earnestly. 

And soulmates, apparently. That realisation would never get old. Steve is so unlike anything Danny ever expected to encounter in his life, and he means that in the most unflattering way possible. 

"Yeah, and I don't really care, so let's go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it! Some of the dialogue might be familiar to you, it's from the season one pilot. 
> 
> I know, Steve's a little bit of a dick right now, but he kind of was like that in the beginning.^^  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Comments and Kudos would be wonderful!


	4. You're very sensitive.

The silence in the car is stiffling. So heavy, Danny feels like choking on every breath he takes. Growing up in a house with four other children, he is used to noise and laughter and making himself heard over the din of other conversations. The quiet bothers him on some level, it feels unnatural to him.  
But, maybe for the first time in his life, he feels no urge to jump in and fill it up with chatter or ranting. There's nothing he wants to say to McGarrett - the man, who thinks he can storm into Danny's life, like some kind of tornado or whirlwind, and turn everything upside down.  
_Typhoon_ , a small part of his mind supplies, and Danny inwardly scowls at the thought. 

McGarrett - _Steve_ , or whatever he wants to be called, is the one, who finally breaks their little stale-mate. 

"... how's the shoulder doing?" he asks in a pathetic attempt to revive a conversion, that, at least in Danny's opinion, has already been squashed and burned to death. 

"I told you I'm fine", he grits out, tightening his grip on the wheel, "Let's just not talk, McGarrett."

"Right now? Or ever again?" He replies cheekily, like this is all a joke to him. 

"How about both", Danny snaps, restraining himself from lashing out and focus his remaining concentration on not driving them into a ditch, or against some palm tree. There are seriously too many of those around. 

"I'm sorry, okay", Steve says in a decidedly half-hearted manner, looking awkward and not used to apologising. 

Well, be that as it may, it's not good enough.  
"Nu-huh, you don't get to fuck with my mind, then apologise and think that's it!"

"What, you want me to bring you flowers?" The sarcasm is layered thickly on each syllable, and if McGarrett intended for him to cool down this is the perfect way to do the opposite. 

"No, I want you to _mean_ it!" Danny retorts.

"I said it, okay? I'm sorry, I'm sincerely sorry. I'm so sorry, Danny!" Is McGarrett's huffy reply, and a glance to the side confirms his aggravated state.

Danny takes his eyes from the road for a short moment to look him up and down, judging him hard. Another bout of silence descends upon the two men and Danny secretly finds a little pleasure at the restless fidgeting of his partner. 

"Ok, I can't work like this! What more do you want? Tell me and I'll do it!"

"Your apology is noted. Acceptance is pending", Danny announces, enunciating each syllable with icy precision. 

Steve stares at him. 

"You know, I think I know why your wife left you", he states abruptly, startling Danny so badly, he almost swerves the car in the other lane.

"Really." 

And it's not a question, more of an aggressive bark, as rage simmers beneath his skin, ready to erupt at a moment's notice. Danny watches his partner from the corner of his eye, head stoically turned towards the road, as his knuckles whiten from the pressure he exerts. 

With bitterness, he thinks back to the call Rachel made, the one he took in the car, where Steve could have overheard his side of the conversation. It wasn't a pleasant call to say the least. About some stupid regulation concerning the right of custody her overpriced shark of an attorney wants to go over, and Danny was ready to burst with anger at the mere mention of _'visitation adjustments'_ delivered in the clipped tone of his ex-wife.  
Because if he gets to see Gracie any less, he might have to start writing letters to his daughter to establish a meaningful connection.  
Hell, he followed her to this island of laid-back freaks, who believe a brightly coloured shirt is perfectly acceptable for work, pineapples are literally everywhere (not just on pizza, which in itself is a sacrilege) and spam is considered decent food (the 'Hawaiian steak', right). And he wouldn't hesitate to do it all again to spend time with Grace. 

So whatever some bullheaded judge in New Jersey might think, every second weekend is not a fair arrangement.  
But at least it's _something_ , and Danny is going to fight for every minute, every second he gets with his little girl. 

"Yes", McGarrett says, seemingly oblivious to the mounting tension. God, he just doesn't know when to stop, does he? "You're very sensitive."

_That's it_ , Danny explodes, his feet automatically slamming down on the brakes, as the sheer callousness of the statement sinks in and leaves him blinded by rage. The loud noise of honking car horns surrounds them and he has the presence of mind to pull his car over, steering it to the roadside, where it isn't quite such an obstruction to traffic. 

"What did you -", Steve starts, sounding stunned at the abrupt maneuver.

Turning around to face him, his hands shaky with suppressed anger, Danny interrupts, "Oh right. Thanks, didn't know that. It must have been that, and not _the scribbling on her hand about the colours in some painting_. A fucking painting! But no no no, it was my temper and not the fact that a freaky soulmark appeared on her skin from one night to another!  
And then I got _this_!"  
Thrusting his arm out violently, he rips the wristband from his hand and holds it right under McGarrett's nose. The skin looks inflamed around the mark, slightly reddened and puffy.

Steve takes one glance at the swollen words and blanches. Then he gently takes hold of Danny's arm, not going near the soulmark and lowers it, until it rests in his lap and isn't up in Steve's face anymore. Somehow the skin-to-skin contact doesn't feel weird, Danny can't figure out what it is exactly, but perhaps _comforting_ is the most accurate way to put it.  
Steve's own wristband feels like silk against his skin, the material doesn't chafe at all, even when he rubs his arm against it, including his sore mark. It's not store bought, that's for sure, and its dark navy blue colour reminds Danny of what he imagines the deepest parts of the ocean look like. He knows his own blue one is several shades lighter, and though they belong to the same colour spectrum, the shades still contrast with each other. 

"Some ice should help", Steve says quietly, letting go of his arm at last and nodding to the mark, as he bends down to search for the fallen wristband. The comforting feeling vanishes with the lack of contact, while his mark continues to throb uncomfortably. There's only so much space in a car and Steve quickly finds the band under his seat. 

Danny snatches it right out of his fingers, when he offers it to him, shooting him a wary glance.

"It's never done that before", he mumbles. "Didn't notice, but it's itchy and hurts a little, when I touch it."  
Danny doesn't know much about soulmarks, he's slept through most of the mandatory health classes regarding the topic, because it frankly didn't pertain to him in the past and he wasn't interested enough to pay attention. He feels the distinct wish to slap his younger self at his ignorant assumption that this is someone else's problem and he never would have to deal with a soulmark of his own. 

"This might have been my fault", Steve confesses.

Danny sighs and lets his head thump against the head-rest.  
"What isn't", he mutters crossly, honestly not surprised at that revelation. Hiding a grimace, he pulls the wristband over the irritated skin despite the perceived roughness of the material and ignores his partner's sympathetic wince.

"You know, it would have happened anyway, what with you getting it, too", Steve offers hesitantly, pointing his chin at the mark, eyes wandering from Danny's arm to his own and back. 

"No, it wouldn't have", he denies firmly, barely looking at the other man. 

Steve's frown is his only reaction to that pronouncement and Danny feels inexplicably irritated. 

"What, do you think I would have left Rachel, for _you_?" He scoffs at the mere notion. 

"No", he says, shaking his head. "I'm saying it wouldn't have made your marriage any easier", Steve states in a soft tone, sympathy shining through. 

Danny says nothing. 

Whatever Danny told himself, deep inside he knew it wasn't the soulmark, or even Stan. Not only that. They were breaking apart at the seams with only Grace holding them together, a string withholding the strain for far too long and they both knew it. 

For a long while they sit there, each lost in his own thoughts, as the silence stretches and other cars rush by in the background.

Then Danny gathers himself, visibly shaking himself and focusing back on the facts of the case.  
"Enough moping, we have work to do", he announces and confidently shifts back into gear, pulling into traffic with an abrupt move (that might have, admittedly, come out of nowhere), which earns him a few honks and shouted, indistinct curses from the vehicles behind him, not that he really cares. 

Steve throws him an appalled look, which obviously means something along the lines of 'Next time, I'll do the driving'. And Danny can't help but chuckle a little at the thought of letting anyone, much less the man next to him, drive his baby. 

"So what's this about the human trafficking ring? You got any idea?" Danny questions, somehow not quite as angry as at the beginning of their wonderful drive. 

"Hesse made a lot of money in human trafficking, his connections there have probably helped him getting on the island. If we can trace those ties, we'll find Hesse."

"And his merry band of terrorists and murderers", Danny chimes in with a sharp grin. 

"Exactly", Steve says, matching his grin with an equal one of his own, which shows off his rows of sharp, white teeth and reminds Danny uncannily of predator on the prowl. 

"We might look a little out of place", he remarks, "Not to disparage your charming personality, but I don't think any of the locals will help someone, who looks like you or me."

"Oh, don't worry, I've got someone in mind", Steve assures him, looking confident and utterly relaxed at his choice.

Funny, how anything that relaxes McGarrett, feels like a blinking alarm signal to Danny's system and in turn makes him tense all over.  
He met the man barely a day ago and yet his definitions of 'normal' and 'dangerous' are forever changed.  
Maybe it's instinct, or that freaky soulbond asserting itself, but it feels like nothing McGarrett could manage to pull out of his hat would really surprise Danny anymore. 

***

Okay, he might have been wrong. 

Chin Ho Kelly is not what Danny expected. Besides scaring a shoplifting kid to tears, the man makes a more than favourable impression on Danny. He seems smart, dedicated and frankly wasted on that job in a _gift shop_ , for god's sake. Twenty years as a cop isn't something to turn one's nose to and Chin is more than helpful after they show him a picture of one of the trafficked girls. The only thing that makes him hesitant is the fact that, well, the HPD seems to think he's a dirty cop and took a load of money. For Danny, that's something to chew on.

Not that his new partner seems to share his problem. They're at some shabby, little snack shop with only a few tables strewn about, when Steve comes right out and asks, "Did you take the money?" 

Danny stares at him, aghast. And what, does McGarrett really think anyone would admit to that? Say 'yes I did, I'm so sorry'?

"What?" Chin appears to be equally stunned at the question and Danny notices the rich chocolate brown colour of the wristband on his left hand, as he runs his fingers through his hair. 

"Did. You. Take. The. Money", Steve repeats, a bulldozer, waltzing over everything in his way. People are looking their way and Danny suppresses the urge to wave his hand with a cheery 'nothing to see here, move along please'.

_"No!"_ Chin denies emphatically, slamming his hands on the table and looking more than indignant at the outright accusation.  
His reaction is damn convincing, even in Danny's eyes, and his father hasn't trained the guy for years. 

Steve smiles, like that's it, decided. And it kind of is. Because the governor gave him leave to choose his team however he wants, and if he'd like to have a disreputed ex-cop and a disliked haole from the mainland, there's nobody to complain to.

Heck, the governor must be truly delighted about her decision to give Steven McGarrett a task force to play with.

 

Despite his initial reluctance, Chin turns out to be a huge asset. He's a local and knows every cranny and corner of the island, which makes a vast difference to Danny, who, outside of work and his time with Grace, hasn't set a foot out of his apartment and sometimes likes to pretend he's back in Jersey, and nothing of this clusterfuck has really happened.

Chin leads them to Kamekona, who turns out to be one of his former informants with aspirations of beeing the Shaved Ice King of Oahu.  
How they end up leaning against his car in oversized, light blue shirts with Kamekona's huge mug printed on, eating some of his high-praised product and apparently serving as live advertising for his shaved ice stand, Danny is still uncertain of, but the look on McGarrett's face is _priceless_.  
Certainly worth the embarrassment. 

And the ice isn't too bad either. 

When Chin finally returns from his conversation with Kamekona, Steve's all but grinding his teeth together, especially after a few of the local kids shared a good laugh at their outfits. It doesn't help that Chin's first reaction is to laugh at their predicament. 

"You _better_ have a name", Steve grunts out, throwing the shaved ice into a nearby trash can. 

Chin raises an eyebrow at his foul mood and favours them with a slight grin.  
"Sang Min good enough for you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's been a long wait, I hope you like the new chapter! Tell me what you think? :)


	5. Tell Grace... that Danno loves her.

The fourth member of their new-formed team is a wonderful, if equally unexpected addition.  
After determining an appropriate plan to get to Sang Min, they need a 'bait', an undercover agent, that would pass on casual inspection. Neither McGarrett nor himself fit the bill, and Chin is far too well known around here to be of any use in that department. However, as luck would have it, he has a beautiful cousin, who's just short of graduating the police academy. 

Seeing her riding the waves is truly an incredible sight, a stunning display of grace and skill, and though Danny has zero interest in surfing, - or going anywhere near the water or the beach in the presumable future - he can still appreciate a good show of sportsmanship and this girl is definitely in her element.

The fact that Kono Kalakaua kicks ass out of the water as well and doesn't take any bullshit, makes her a perfect fit for their little ragtag group.  
Her 'love-tap' is definitely not half bad and Danny respects a feisty, self-confident woman, who knows what she wants and how to get it.  
It's one of the many reasons he married Rachel, not that he wants to think about that mess now. Or ever.

Kono beams at them with unbridled enthusiasm, when they finish going through their plan, not at all bothered by her role as bait. She's ready to burst with energy at her first real job, and Danny faintly remembers being this green once at the very beginning of his career and how he desperately wanted to save as many people as he possibly could. Much has changed since then, he's not casting himself in the role of 'savior' for the masses anymore, now he's quite content to protect his small corner of the world and tries not to think too hard about anything bigger than that.  
His gaze is caught by the wet, bright yellow fabric of her wristband and he can't help but wonder whether she's already found her counterpart. Probably not though, she's still very young.

He steals a glance at Steve, wondering whether their own bond is visible to anyone besides themselves, or if other people assume they are still searching for their perfect match. 

Either way is unsettling to him, and he quickly dismisses the thought from his mind. 

***

The plan is fairly simple.  
Kono's job is to walk into the truck repair shop, play a poor immigrant girl that wishes her parents to join her in the paradise that is Hawaii and be convincing enough in her disguise to make Sang Min fall for it, so they can bring him in and _persuade_ him to talk about Hesse.

But uncomplicated doesn't mean easy to execute, there are many different factors coming together and one wrong move and everything could blow up in their faces in seconds. Those involved in the human import/export business are a ruthless bunch, quick to eliminate a person for the smallest indication that they could pose a problem to their organisation. They can't really protect Kono from a quick, well-placed shot, despite their surveillance, and she's aware of that. It all hinges on her acting abilities and Danny fervently hopes that for once on this god-forsaken island something will turn out alright for them. 

And indeed, at first everything seems to go well. Sang Min is buying their story of the poor girl, working two jobs, and he's obviously taken with Kono's appearance. Until the sand in her hair throws a hurdle into their plans. It feels like his heart is jumping out of his chest, when they watch Sang Min stop short in front of Kono, not saying a word for a long while.  
When they do come, the words are harsh and delivered with a deliberate slur, as he accuses her of being a 'filthy cop'.  
Danny really has to hand it to her, because she remains cool under the pressure and sticks to the story, even when he demands that she takes off her dress.

That appears to placate him for the moment and he asks, circling her with a predatory leer, "Mmh, I see you've got a soulmark, girl. But you haven't found your soulmate yet, have you?"

"N-No", she replies and they can hear the tremble in her voice, as she visibly startles.

"Well, that's good. Those can be a hazard, you know." He nods to himself and snaps a picture of her, sending it to someone. 

In the van Danny quickly tracks the signal, he's not exactly good at the technical stuff, but he's a cop, he knows his basics and how to track a goddamned old-fashioned signal, if it isn't encrypted to the hills. Apparently Sang Min isn't all that tech-savvy either, because it doesn't take long and Danny is more than shocked at the location it reveals. 

Fuck, there's a mole in the police station.

This is bad - really, really bad. 

Fuck, he knows these people, worked side by side with these guys for six months, and sure that's not a long time, but he would have never expected -  
What he's saying is, they're discriminatory douch-bags, the lot of them, who like to take the piss out of the _new 'haole cop' from the mainland_ instead of just doing their job, and Danny sure as hell doesn't like them, but they're cops, too.

When a cop betrays his badge, he's the lowest of the low, worse than scum. It's a betrayal to everything they stand for and it makes Danny sick in the stomach to even think about it. How one of them, the good guys, could work with human traffickers. 

A hand settles on his shoulder, squeezing lightly, and he tenses up at the unexpected contact. Turning his head, he's met with Steve's pinched face. For once it isn't a struggle to read his partner's expression and they exchange bitter nods, united in their desire to catch the dirty rat hiding in their ranks. 

His gaze wanders to Chin, who hasn't noticed their agitation yet, sitting over at the monitor, tensed all over, as he keeps his eyes plastered to the screen, never leaving his cousin. Dammit, she's about to be compromised and no smart talking is going to save her then. This was a stupid, reckless plan to begin with, they never should have gotten the girl involved in the first place, and Danny is just about to shout for them _to get her out - now -_ , when Steve growls, "Give it a moment!"

Sang Min smiles at her, the nasty kind that leaves one with invisible grease stains and the urge to punch something, preferably the disgusting piece of shit himself.

"Now, if you aren't a cop and I can get this confirmed, we're good to go. But we have to do something about that pesky mark of yours. A tattoo will cover it nicely, I think. Maybe something with flowers."  
His hand strokes casually over Kono's yellow band, tugging at the rim and she flinches away, before he can expose her writing, looking at him with wide eyes. She's pressing her hand to her chest, the other hand wrapping its fingers securely around the wristband, as she stumbles backwards, out of the gangster's reach.

Danny watches Chin clench his hands into fists in a useless bout of rage. He can't imagine how he would feel if one of his sisters were in Kono's position, or God forbid a grown-up version of his little girl. Danny prays to all the deities in existence that Grace will never decide to follow in her father's footsteps. Let her go into business like Step-Stan for all he cares, but not this.  
Never this. 

Kono's face is drained of blood and she looks shell-shocked, while Sang Min and his goons laugh at her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, you don't need a soulmate in this business", Sang Min divulges mockingly, prowling closer to give her a pat on the cheek. "They're only in the way."

Then his phone chirps and Kono pales even more if possible, which is the moment McGarrett finally decides to step on the gas and crash the van through the front gate. In the ensuing chaos of fired bullets and yelling, Danny has no time to look for her, as he fires left and right, trying his utmost not to get shot the second time in 24 hours. He doesn't notice how exactly Kono manages to grab a gun for herself, but he's there to watch her shoot one of the bastards, that's been aiming for Danny's head, straight in the belly. The man doubles over with a gurgling sound and hits the ground like a sack of meat.  
The others are quickly shot or wounded, until there is no resistance remaining. Sang Min tries to flee, McGarrett in hot pursuit and Danny could have told the bastard to save his breathe and not to bother. With McGarrett breathing down his neck, it's a futile endeavor.

They manage to find the Chinese refugees locked in a container in the back and it's a small comfort that at least this human trafficking ring has come to its end.

With their mission accomplished Steve turns to the cuffed Sang Min and shoves a snapshot of Victor Hesse under his nose.  
"Now why don't you tell me where he is?" Steve asks, deceptively soft, aggression radiating from him and Chin joins him, creaking his knuckles. The calm man Danny has been introduced just this day, gives Sang Min such a look of revulsion, he's not at all surprised to see the criminal flinch away.  
He takes this as his cue to make himself scarce, because he has no intention to witness Steve's 'questioning' techniques in person. Thank you very much, but he doesn't need to see this violation of police procedure in the making. Nope not at all.

 

With a sigh Danny trotts over to the long line of refugees, leaving Chin and Steve behind. Shortly afterwards he sees Kono making her way over to him and greets her with a grin.  
"You're pretty good, rookie", he teases with a smile. "Probably going to be a great detective one day."

She responds in kind and cracks a tired, but satisfied grin, "I _am_ great already, Danny. Just ask Sang Min and his minions over there."

"No, but seriously, thanks for, uhm, you know", he says, referring to her basically saving him from a headshot in that badass way of hers. 

"Sure, anytime. You're welcome", she says sincerely and favours him with a bright smile, then leaves to help an injured woman she spies limping across the yard.

 

Suddenly Steve bursts out of the repair shop, striding rapidly towards Danny, completely disregarding anything in his way.

"I need a car!" he demands harshly, while catching his breath, eyes scanning the area for any available transport. Having totalled the van, there's nothing but junk surrounding them.

"Easy there, tiger", Danny says, holding out his hands in a placating gesture as Steve continues to pace around restlessly. "Okay. Sang Min. What did he tell you?"

"I know where Hesse is!"

"That's great, where is he?"

Steve shoots him a frustrated look. "On a cargo ship heading for China. Right at this moment." He shoves his fingers through his hair. _"I need a car, Danny!"_

The man stares at Danny with wild eyes, a caged animal ready to pounce at the prey dangled in front of its nose, but unable to get past the bars holding it, and damn it all McGarrett looks helpless for once, not at all the tough guy image he usually likes to project.

Like send by God himself, a howling police cruiser arrives on scene, heading directly towards them and their eyes interlock, sharing the same thought.

No more than a minute later both of them sit in their borrowed HPD cruiser, Steve behind the wheels and Danny in the passenger seat, as Steve steps down on the gas and floors it, driving like a maniac in the direction of Honolulu Harbor.

***

"I'm never letting you drive again, because -", Danny rants, face pale and faintly green, when Steve cuts another curve and he swallows hard, as his intestines jump. 

"- this is seriously -"  
They abruptly swerve to the right, loud, penetrating honking accompanying their departing vehicle.

" - a danger to my health and -"  
Their car is recklessly overtaking cars left and right.

"- I'm gonna puke! Goddamnit!" he manages to finish, breathing shallowly through his mouth.

"You can puke as much as you want", Steve says blithely, "it's not my car. I'm sure the HPD will be happy if you leave them a present." He snickers.

"Oh yes", Danny rejoins sneering, "because they haven't enough reason to despise the haole cop yet."

Steve glowers at him and runs over a red light. "That's not what I meant."

"I know", he acknowledges, "but would it kill you to slow it down a little? Please? I'd like to make it home with all my limbs attached."

Speaking of limbs, the sound of the 'Psycho' theme suddenly rings through the car and Steve shoots him a look, eyebrow raised pointedly, while Danny gives him a defensive shrug.  
"Eyes on the road", he hisses pointedly and gets an eye roll for his trouble, then he turns to the ominously blaring phone, personally he considers his ringtone a perfect choice for his beautiful harpy of an ex-wife. 

Rachel has perfect timing, as always, and fuck this, he knows what this is about. With all that's going on with Hesse, he didn't have the time to pick Gracie up from school, but he left her a message and she only sends out her driver anyway! He's not a neglectful dad, okay? But of course Rachel's opinion on the matter varies slightly. In the time since their failed attempt of a marriage and the writing appeared, it seems like her main purpose is to make his life more difficult and show him what a lousy person he is in comparison to her oh so 'perfect' Stan. Good thing they're about to shoot some people, because Danny seriously needs to let off some steam and what's better than shooting at some terrorists for that? 

The whole call is taking him to his limits and he almost hangs up on her multiple times, and only the steady reminder that they need to have a somewhat cordial relationship for their daughter prevents him from telling her where to shove it.

Instead he ends the conversation with: "Tell Grace... that Danno loves her."

Just in case. 

Danny doesn't wait for her reply before pushing the red button, doesn't want to know if he's made her worry, or worse, if she's indifferent. 

His eyes meet his partner's and yes, he's aware of the (still?) raised eyebrows and intrigued expression. 

"Who's Danno?" Steve asks curiously, and a part (very, very big part) of Danny wants to flip him off and tell him to mind his own business, but well... his gaze catches on Steve's blue wristband and he can't. There are words beneath that - his words -, and they're permanently inked into Steve's wrist, eternized under his skin and they may not be pretty or romantic, but he spoke them and as much as it makes him bristle, this undefined _thing_ between them also kind of makes Danny his business. 

"Look, it's nothing special, alright? Just..., when Grace was three, she'd try to say my name, but it always came out as 'Danno', okay?" Danny explains, absent-mindedly scratching at his wristband. He really needs some ice for that. 

Steve looks at him, mouth twitching into a faint smile.  
"That's cute."

Danny rolls his eyes. "Shut up."

"You don't have to be embarrassed", he teases.

"I'm _not_ embarrassed, will you drop it?"

"I just think it's cute -"

Danny groans, already regretting ever opening his mouth. "Stop thinking about it, okay. It's between me and Grace."

"Mmh", Steve says, eyes sparkling with amusement, " and you're blushing, because- ?"

"M'not blushing", he mumbles, ducking his head. "It's this freaking heat, makes blood rush to my head. Don't you people ever get tired of it?"  
He chances a glance up at his partner and is met with a wide grin.

"Of what? Sunshine and perfect weather?" Steve gives him another raised-eyebrow-look, this time with an expectant, ridiculous wiggle.

"How about skin cancer and sweaty armpits?" he argues, crossing his arms petulantly. "Besides I happen to like cold weather and snow."

Steve gives him an once-over, paying particular attention to his tie and holy crap, how does he do that, while speeding Rambo-style through the streets? It seriously boggles his mind. Danny huffes, running one hand over the silky fabric, as he tries to remember which one he picked out this morning. It might have been the one Grace got him for christmas with the bright yellow-purple squares and he hides a wince at the thought. A quick peek down confirms that yep - he's wearing the yellow-purple monstrosity.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me", Steve retorts drily, shaking his head. 

"Oh god, leave me alone."

Despite Steve's horrifying driving, they arrive physically intact at the harbor and discover the ship in question is about to sail off.

That's the moment any remotely rational person would stop to think for a second and regroup. But not Steve McGarrett, no. The guy just phones the governor and informs her calmly about the possibility of an international incident -boarding a Chinese ship heading towards international waters is usually considered to be a bad idea- and demands a free pass, which he actually _gets_. 

It's so outrageous, that his buddies in New Jersey, mostly cops, wouldn't believe a word coming out of his mouth, if he ever told them. 

"You ready?" he asks with that manic glint in his eyes Danny is rapidly becoming familiar with.

"No!" Danny shouts, adrenaline pumping in his veins, and holds on tight, because though he hasn't known the man for long, he's already developed a second sense for when he's going to ignore Danny's concerns. 

Then Steve's grinning at him, veers sharply and hits the gas, driving right onto the ship in an incredible move that could have been straight out of a movie.

A movie Danny would have most decidedly liked to have missed out on and not play one of the leads.

They're greeted by screams, gunfire and explosions. Steve's gone the moment he catches sight of Hesse, running after the man and shooting wildly, which leaves Danny with the other goons on board. Fantastic. He goes for cover and concentrates on taking out one criminal at a time, while staying alive. Hopefully Steve can manage Hesse, he's read the sheet on him and damn it, but that guy isn't playing around, that's for sure. 

He's trading fire with one particular nasty bugger and finally gets him in the shoulder, when Steve's voice rings out behind him with, "Hey, Danny! I got Hesse, he's dead!"

"Good!" he shouts back, glad that their _plan_ was successful. He goes over to the bleeding criminal he just wounded and sighs as the guy grabs frantically around for his fallen weapon.  
"Hands behind your back!", Danny barks, "You don't want me to shoot you again, do you?"  
That threat at least seems to have made an impact and the criminal slumps into himself, allowing Danny to manhandle the cuffs on him.

"Get the coast guard to fish out the body", Steve says from behind him, materializing like a freaking ghost and startling Danny. Good thing there are already cuffs on the guy and he's got him in a tight grip, or they could have been looking at one escaped criminal scumbag. Not that Steve wouldn't have tackled him to the ground, if the poor guy moved a muscle in the wrong direction. 

"How about you call them yourself, I'm a little busy here!" he calls out bitingly, while helping the criminal to his feet. 

He hears Steve's bright laughter and has to smile despite himself, because, heck, they've made it! Busted a human trafficking ring and taken out an internationally wanted terrorist! All in a good day's work. It's an unreal feeling. In New Jersey, this whole affair would have probably taken weeks of preparations and headaches to wrap up.

"Book him, Danno!" Steve shouts, and when Danny turns to see his beat-up, bloody face, Steve's beaming down at him. 

"Oh, no", he whines, "this isn't going to be a _'thing'_ , right? Right? "

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I'm done with the first episode... only about 130 more to go! xD 
> 
> I'm kidding, I'm not going to focus on each individual episode, although references and quotes will continue to pop up. ;)
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter update, as always, comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks for reading!


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